Farnborough FC to field Messi, Beckham, Pele and Maradona after players change their names by deed poll

Read 'em and weep - the all new Farnborough FC (Image: David Parry / PA)

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It's a big name line-up that would grace any football pitch in the world.

Trouble is the faces don’t quite match the legends emblazoned on the back of their shirts.

David Beckham, for instance, is really Scott Beckham, and Lionel Messi is better known as Dan Bennett.

But non-league Farnborough FC are hoping the dream team will alter their fortunes – after all the players and coaching staff agreed to change their names by deed poll.

In a £100,000 sponsorship deal with bookmakers Paddy Power, the Hampshire-based part timers of Conference South have come up with a fantasy team sheet of past and present world beaters, including Pele (Elvis Hammond) and Diego Maradona (Dave Tarpey).

(Image: David Parry / PA)

Midfielder Merrick James-Lewis is now Zinedine Zidane and goalie Kevin Scriven will take the field as World Cup hero Gordon Banks.

Team manager Jose Mourinho, formerly Spencer Day, claimed the deal has saved the cash-strapped club after it almost went bust earlier this year.

He said: “Over the summer it looked touch and go if we’d even start the season, but now we’ve got the greatest team the world has ever seen.”

(Image: David Parry / PA)

Speaking alongside deputy coach Sir Alex Ferguson and kitman Terry Venables, he added: “But it’s not all good news – Pele and Maradona have almost come to blows over who wears the No 10 shirt.”

The team will trot out under their assumed identities for the first time against Chelmsford on Saturday.

Midfielder Scott said: “Becks has always been my hero so I couldn’t be more excited about changing my name to his.

“I managed to score from the halfway line last season so I’m hoping there’s more to come this time round.”